Carter, Raptors Have Their Way in Portland

Now Portland knows what all the Vince Carter fuss is about.

Carter scored a game-high 35 points to lead the visiting Toronto Raptors to a stunning 109-90 victory Monday night, dropping the Trail Blazers three games behind the Lakers in the Pacific Division and in the race for the NBA’s best record.

Doug Christie added 26 points and the Raptors made a season-high 13 three-pointers in winning their fifth in a row and fourth straight on the road, a franchise record. Toronto moved a half-game ahead of Philadelphia for the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference.

Rasheed Wallace scored a season-high 27 points and Arvydas Sabonis had 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Trail Blazers, who have lost two of their last three home games after winning 16 in a row.

Carter, who began the night as the NBA’s fourth-leading scorer at 25.5 points a game, is averaging 30.6 points over his last 15 games.

The Trail Blazers weathered a 15-0 run in the second quarter, but folded after Toronto reeled off 13 consecutive points in the third. A 21-foot baseline jumper by Antonio Davis put the Raptors ahead, 62-54, and Portland couldn’t get closer than four after that.

Phoenix 100, Miami 92--In the best game to date for the Suns’ so-called Backcourt 2000, Penny Hardaway matched his season-high with 28 points and Jason Kidd handed out a season-best 17 assists in their 11th consecutive home victory.

“We’re starting to understand each other,” said Kidd, who also had 10 points and fell one rebound short of a triple-double. “We now have gotten some games under our belt in different situations, up by 20, down by 10. We’re starting to hit our peak. We just want to bottle this up and keep it until June.”

Miami erased most of a 26-point first-half deficit but couldn’t quite make it all the way back. Alonzo Mourning led the Heat with 25 points.

San Antonio 106, New Jersey 104--Stephon Marbury shot a 29-foot airball with one second left at San Antonio as the Nets lost another close one. The Nets are 7-17 in games decided by five points or less.

“They pushed us out so far,” New Jersey Coach Don Casey said of the last-second attempt. “Steph was going to put his head down and go to the basket but time just wouldn’t allow it. The three was a good shot, he went for the win and I don’t blame him.”

Marbury finished with 34 points, while David Robinson scored 25 and Tim Duncan had 17 points and 13 rebounds for the Spurs.

Sacramento 130, Dallas 109--Chris Webber had 22 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds as the Kings never trailed in defeating the Mavericks at Dallas.

It was the third victory in four games for the Kings, who had a season-high point total and made 14 of 27 three-point attempts.

Sacramento led by 18 points after one quarter and went on a 9-0 run in the fourth quarter to pull away in beating Dallas for the sixth straight time over the last two seasons.

Orlando 87, Washington 85--Pat Garrity made a fadeaway jump shot from the top of the key as time expired to give the Magic a come-from-behind victory at Washington.

Garrity’s shot came after Wizard rookie Richard Hamilton made a three-pointer with 12.2 seconds to tie the score.

Hamilton had a career-high 25 for Washington.

The Magic’s reserves, nicknamed “The Magnificent Seven,” scored 50 of the team’s 87 points.

Milwaukee 111, Atlanta 78--Sam Cassell had 21 points and 12 assists and Glenn Robinson added 17 points at Milwaukee as the Bucks swept the four-game season series from the Hawks for the first time in team history.

The Bucks outrebounded Atlanta, 51-21, in handing the Hawks their second-worst loss of the season.

“That was the worst I’ve ever seen it,” Hawk Coach Lenny Wilkens said. “No one was out there playing. We were nonexistent.”

The Hawks also have lost five of six and three in a row on the road.